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Apple cancels Chris O'Dowd's beloved comedy after two seasons

The Big Door Prize is no more.

Chris O'Dowd as Dusty in The Big Door Prize, looking up at the sky with a sad look on his face while standing in the middle of a street surrounded by people.

Apple TV+

Published: Sunday, 30 June 2024 at 12:37 pm

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It's sad news for fans of The Big Door Prize as it's been confirmed that the Apple TV+ series has not been renewed for any further instalments.

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The final episode of season 2 was released on the platform on Wednesday 12th June but it's since been revealed (via Deadline) that the team at Apple TV+ have chosen not to continue on the adventures of the Morpho machine.

The heartwarming series centred on the residents of small town Deerfield, who quickly become enamoured with a machine named Morpho which promises to reveal each person's true potential.

Leading the cast of the series is actor and comedian Chris O'Dowd, who stars as sceptical high school teacher Dusty Hubbard who doesn't quite understand why everyone's intrigued by the machine.

Chris O’Dowd in The Big Door Prize, walking through a street in the snow

Chris O’Dowd in The Big Door Prize Apple TV+

Confronted with the prospect of true happiness, we follow Dusty as he navigates being in a town full of people making major life decisions off the back of a note from the machine.

However, his criticism is levied out against his optimistic wife and high school sweetheart Cass (Gabrielle Dennis). The first season was so greatly received that it was quickly picked up for another, but it looks as though it's the end of the road now.

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The show is beloved by its fans (the person writing this article and the person editing this article among them), with the oddball antics in Deerfield often warming the cockles of our hearts.

Most annoyingly for fans of the series, season 2 left on quite the cliffhanger so it looks as though there won't be any answers or resolution there.

As is often the case with cancelled shows, fans will just be left to wonder what could've ended up happening rather than getting any real closure.

While the cast is yet to make any official statements on the news of the show's cancellation, Chris O'Dowd did jokingly post on X in response to a fan that he "shall devour a bag of oranges today in protest."

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The comedy was based on MO Walsh’s novel of the same name and has been brought to life by producer, writer and showrunner David West Read.

Known for his work as a writer and executive producer on Schitt's Creek, Read previously chatted to RadioTimes.com about his hopes for The Big Door Prize and how it could compare to his award-winning work on Schitt's Creek.

He said: “I love the idea of a geographically ambiguous small town whether it's Schitt's Creek or Deerfield, because you really focus on these people and what's happening in this very specific place, as opposed to what's happening in the country or the world as a whole.

"It becomes this microcosm, and Schitt's Creek, I think a lot of the success was that it was characters you wanted to spend time with in a place where you wanted to be. And I'm trying to create something similar with the the cast and setting of The Big Door Prize.”

The Big Door Prize seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Apple TV+.

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Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Morgan Cormack, smiling against a lime green background

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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